But no matter what the cause, you can ease an assault on your gastric system.

Here are 4 common digestive problems and ways to tackle them:

1. Constipation Do you have fewer than three bowel movements a week?

If so, you’re officially constipated and you have plenty of company: More than 63 million Americans – mostly women and the elderly – are frequently constipated, according to the National Institutes of Health, and that can lead to bigger problems.

Constant straining can cause painful hemorrhoids and over time, it raises the risk of developing tiny pouches in your colon that can become infected.

Constipation can also be a sign of colon or colorectal cancer, but your age, weight, exercise habits, diet, ethnic background and genetics all play a part in determining your risk.

How to fix itTo get things moving down there, first try small lifestyle changes.

Eat more high-fiber foods, such as oatmeal, apples or prunes. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water and get at least a half-hour of exercise every day.

Another option?

Take probiotic supplements: The live bacteria will reestablish a healthy ecosystem in your gut.

If you’re still straining or not going at all, try an over-the-counter laxative. The following two remedies may help.

Stool softeners (bisacodyl; brand name Dulcolax): Within hours, this popular over-the-counter drug softens waste and stimulates your colon’s muscles to contract and squeeze out its contents.

The tablets must be swallowed whole — don’t crush or chew them because they’re specially coated to minimize gastric irritation and allow the drug’s active ingredient to be released only in the colon. If swallowing pills is troublesome, buy the liquid version or suppositories.

How to use it: Take bisacodyl with an 8-ounce glass of water.

Watch out: Some people feel faint or crampy after using bisacodyl tablets or suppositories. This is more likely if you take antacids, acid blockers or eat dairy products within one hour of taking it. These things reduce stomach acidity and prematurely destroy the medication’s coating, causing the side effects.

Aloe vera (brand name Lily of the Desert): Most people use aloe vera gel to heal burns, but you can also buy the juice. Drink 2-4 ounces a day.

Expect more normal bowel movements within a couple of days. It prevents your intestines from absorbing liquid, so feces stay soft and exit easier.

How to use it: Aloe vera juice is virtually tasteless, so drink it plain or add it to tea, smoothies, juice or cereal. It’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Watch out: Drinking too much can cause diarrhea or cramps.

If these don’t work, ask your doctor for a prescription-strength laxative.

2. Painful cramps and chronic diarrheaThese symptoms point to many digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory condition that produces sores in the lining of the colon) and Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease similar to UC.

Chronic diarrhea is dehydrating and robs the body of essential nutrients like B vitamins and minerals, leaving you weak, tired and without appetite.

How to fix itProbiotics (Culturelle or Florastor): These probiotic supplements can drive out bad bacteria and fungus, such as Candida albicans, a common cause for diarrhea, cramps and other illnesses like IBS. You can take one or both together.

In fact, whether you have diarrhea or not, take a probiotic daily to boost your overall digestive health.

How to use it:Take probiotics whenever you take antibiotics (and for three days afterward) to reduce the risk of a vaginal yeast infection. You can buy them at health-food stores.

Watch out: Eating yogurt or kefir — a fermented milk drink available in some health food stores — isn’t a good idea for people with digestive disorders. For one thing, probiotics die in sweetened yogurt. But most important: A protein in dairy foods called casein can exacerbate existing digestive woes.

How to use it:Grate an inch of the root into pulp and add it to hot water. After 10 minutes, strain and sweeten the tea, if you like. Drink a cup twice daily. Add ginger to smoothies, soups, marinades and sauces.

Watch out: The maximum recommended dose is 4 grams daily. Ginger is a blood thinner, so if you take aspirin or anticoagulants, talk to your doctor before using it.

Peppermint oil: The herb and essential oil calm the GI tract and may have antibiotic effects. It helps with IBS, indigestion, bloating and gas. It calms stomach muscles, so food passes to the bowel and helps you pass gas. It also improves bile flow, essential to digestion and fat absorption.

How to use it: Try peppermint tea, supplements, add fresh leaves to your salad and smoothies or just eat them raw.

Watch out: Peppermint supplements may exacerbate conditions like reflux (the backup of liquids from your stomach into your esophagus) and heartburn, the burning caused from reflux. Buy supplements with an enteric coating, which prevents them from dissolving until they reach the small intestine.

3. Hemorrhoids
Chronic constipation, IBS and other digestive disorders can lead to problems outside the gut, including hemorrhoids (swollen, painful veins in and around the anus).

Conventional medicine’s answer is often surgery, but first try these non-invasive steps.

How to fix it
Ice packs: Put them on your anus for 15 or 20 minutes – no longer – to relieve inflammation.

Stool softeners (Docusate sodium; brand names Colace, Colorectol, Docusoft): This stool softener is essential for people with a heart condition or “vagus nerve” disorder because straining can be dangerous for them. Stool softeners make it easier for you to pass bowel movements, so there’s less pressure on touchy nerve endings and sensitive hemorrhoids.

How to use it:Drink lots of water! It makes the drug work better and prevents dehydration, which causes constipation and more hemorrhoids.

Silica: Found in seafood, seaweed and horsetail (whose leaves look like a horse’s tail), this crystalline mineral strengthens the delicate blood vessels around the anus.

How to use it: Squirt silica solution on a cotton pad and press it to your rectum to soothe the burn – or take horsetail supplements.

Watch out:When you buy horsetail, make sure the ingredient label says Equisetum arvense and organic to ensure that it’s pesticide-free.

If you take too much silica or use an inferior brand, you may get mild digestive upset. The herb also has some diuretic effects, so long-term use could deplete your body of potassium and other important minerals.

4. Heartburn
Mild, occasional heartburn is the result of reflux, the backup of acidic liquids from your stomach into your esophagus.

If heartburn and reflux accompany other chronic digestive disorders, you may be allergic to gluten, a protein in wheat, or the milk protein casein. See a GI specialist before taking any drugs or supplements.

Medications and supplements that may make heartburn worse:

Bone-building drugs (brand names: Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel)

Blood pressure medications

Nitrates (like nitroglycerin) for the heart

Breathing medications (theophylline)

Asthma inhalers (albuterol)

Some antidepressants and psychiatric medications

Some sleeping pills

How to fix it
Antacids (Maalox and Tums): These work within minutes to relieve the burning sensation in your chest and throat.

But those symptoms could also mean something more serious, such as a heart attack. If the pain does not subside quickly after taking an antacid, call 911.

How to use it: Take them orally, in chewable, liquid or tablet form, according to package directions.

Watch out: People with kidney conditions should use antacids only under a doctor’s care. Long-term use can rob your body of B vitamins and minerals.

What’s Your Indigestion IQ?Are you familiar with the lingering discomforts associated with gastrointestinal issues? The good news is that you can take steps to prevent the unnecessary side effects brought on by certain behaviors. Do you know how? Take this indigestion quiz to find out.

The information contained on www.lifescript.com(the "Site") is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice from your doctor or health-care professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Always seek the advice of a qualified health-care professional regarding any medical condition. Information and statements provided by the site about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Lifescript does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, third-party products, procedures, opinions, or other information mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by Lifescript is solely at your own risk.